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Monday 19 April 2010

Tallyhoo!

All judgement I may have been withholding about Series Fnarg (Series Five! It just is, let's face it!) ended with Victory of the Daleks.

In the past, though I find them extremely entertaining, I've been a bit unimpressed by the Daleks. They just seem such a boyish part of Doctor Who - and yes I know that what I just said is sexist, as well as practically sacriligeous amongst Who fans - but whatever. They've never terrified me. Well, you'll be pleased (or maybe horrified) to know they still don't.

However, I have to say that thus far, Victory of the Daleks has been the highlight of the season for me. Daleks! In khaki! With union flags! Offering cups of tea! To Churchill! Does it get any better than this...?

Damn right it does! Doctor wielding hammer! Teleport! Daleks in pretty colours! Self destruct jammy dodger! Just when you think my sweet little fangirl heart can't get any gladder, there comes the piece de resistance:

SPITFIRES. IN. SPACE.

Scientifically, it's a heap of cabbage, but my God it made me cheer to see Danny Boy attacking a stonking great Dalek ship in a spitfire. And the Dalek-destroying catchphrase which will endure eternally?

"Tallyhooooo!"

Perfect. Add to that a pepperoni pizza, a bar of Dairy Milk, and a Cola float, and that's about as close as SassyScifFi gets to heaven... And I had those things!

It'll be interesting to see how Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone live up to Victory. Since I adore the Weeping Angels (a truly psychological creature, don't you think?) and am fascinated to find out the story of River Song, it's looking good... But it's got high standards to live up to!

Before I go, I realised something about the Series 5 naming argument. I was watching confidential, and saw the Clapper Board, which had Series 1 emblazoned on it... When it hit me! Never mind the Moff's chat about tired brands and radical rethinks - this is just the BBC saving money! You think those boards come cheap? Nah, they're saving the money by recycling clappers, and spending it on new and fancy FX! And fair play to them, if it makes the show better, so long as they know the fans will always call it Series 5.

Tallyhooooo! (Keep the Blue Light Flashing)
Sassyxx

Wednesday 14 April 2010

The Votes Are In, and The Moff Is Definitely Easier!

Turns out I have been spelling Steven Moffat wrong... Oh the shame!

That name just gets me... Is it a "V"? Is it A "PH"? Who can tell? Grr... The Moff is definitely easier to remember, and it turns out he is officially called that by Doctor Who insiders! I thought I just made that up, but I guess I may have heard it and let it mulch into my subconscious somehow...

In other news, the Guardian published a poll - Who Is the Better Doctor: Matt Smith or David Tennant? David Tennant won, with 82% to Matt Smith's poor 18%. Let's be fair, people! David Tennant has appeared in three seasons of Doctor Who, as well as eight specials, and those Children in Need thingys. Matt Smith, on the other hand, has been in two episodes, and already folk are saying things about him! Give the poor dude a chance!

I think it's totally unfair how people make snap decisions on things like this (and yeah I am being a bit hypocritical here). Actors are people too, not just animals in a zoo for us to jeer at. If you were to go into a new job, and on your second day, came in to find people voting on your performance, you'd be pretty damn offended! Give Matt Smith a chance to prove his worth, rather than jumping instantly to DT's defence - yes, he was a brilliant Doctor, and nobody loves him more than I, but it's time to let go...

Reading that back, it was a total rant, so I'm gonna chat for a bit about happier subjects. (These are mostly to do with my life, rather than anything newsie or viewsie, so if that's what you came for, press the big X in the top right corner now!)

I spent a pretty blissful afternoon watching Doctor Who series 4 from my bed (when I should have been revising for my damn exams - oops!) and later, when the sun came out, I went into my garden to sunbathe and read the Writer's Tale - I find Russell T Davies fascinating, possibly because I can't decide whether he's a lovely man with a hard job, or a total diva! I also love the book because it's so massive it'll take me a good, long while to get through.

A friend of mine who doesn't follow SciFi was eyeing my Torchwood DVD today... or more specifically eyeing John Barrowman! The conversation went like this:

R: *Eyes JB* He's quite HOT!

Sassy: John Barrowman? Er...

R: Oh, don't tell me - he's married with two beautiful sons!

Sassy: R, you do realise John Barrowman is, like, 40 and VERY VERY GAY?

R: *looking scandalised* Why is it that all the gorgeous ones are married or gay?!

Sassy: Technically he's married, too. To a guy.

R: *Gasp, followed by long sigh* Oh, you were serious. Damn.

Aw, I love R, she is comedy gold! Man, imagine JB saw this? I can totally imagine him hooting with laughter!

Well that's all the news and busybodying from SassyScifi! Until next time Keep the Blue Light Flashing (BTW who did I steal that line from? I own NOTHING original!)

Sassy :) xx

Sunday 11 April 2010

In Which Sassy Has a Good Old Ramble

Disclaimer: this Blog will have no specific news, but will mostly consist of random ramblings.

Parents, eh? You can't live with them, and you can't afford to live without them. Yesterday I went on a wee day out with my Dad, to cement the whole "Father-Daughter Bonding" thing. What a drag... Not that I don't love my Dad but he can be a bit of an old fart, as well as pretty damn embarrassing. Anywhoo, we headed to a bookstore.

I purchased the new edition of the Writer's Tale, a 700-plus tome, composed of correspondance between writer Russell T Davies and Doctor Who journalist Benjamin Cook. What a book! It really is freaking comprehensive... For example, I've learned that the Series 4 companion came perilously close to being Penny Carter, not Donna Noble! Who knew? And, if you want to hear the words Doctor Who and Primeval uttered in the same sentence, The Writer's Tale is the place to go. RTD is a fan of Primeval! This has shot him even higher in my estimation.

Talking of Primeval, amongst fans of the show it is pretty old news that it will be returning in 2011, but God, how I 'm missing it! I bought the last Primeval Book, to complete my collection - The Lost Island by Paul Kearney, if you're interested - and am now acutely aware that it's the last piece of new material I'll get for nearly a year. Ouch, that stings. Hurry back Primeval, I miss you - you were about the only thing worth watching on ITV!

Anyway, back to parents. D'you know what mine said to me? Not just once, but twice (in relation to Doctor Who and Primeval respectively):

"Aren't you getting a bit old for all that?"

I ask you! The obvious answer to that question is NO, and they know it. They ask, not because they genuinely feel I will grow out of this "phase", but because the fear I will not is growing in their hearts. I was joking about the idea of going on Mastermind - specialist subject: Doctor Who, 2005 to Present Day. I could answer every question they put to me, all bar one.

What IS the "T" in Russell T Davies, by the way?

I think what they fear is that I will be a horrifically stereotypical nerd - you know the type, spotty, messy, lonely and fat - when I am older. But truly, I don't think that's gonna happen. Scifi is a hobby, albeit a passionate one, and if New Who has proved anything, it's that Science Fiction can attract a wide range of fans and age-groups. Long gone are the days of spotty teens dressed up in makeshift Cybermen costumes. Let me have my passions - anything's better than the endless episodes of Coronation Street my Dad watches!

One last message, before I go - The Eleventh Hour? Loved! I literally applauded at the end. When I heard about all the changes ( The logo, title sequence, reset to "Series 1", TARDIS interior AND exterior, to say nothing of the Kissogram companion) I was a little apprehensive. I actually trusted Matt Smith to be a great Doctor, it was Stephen Moffat I was wary of - he seemed to be changing too much!

However, the new episode made me eat my words. Amy Pond was a great partner to the Doctor; the logo and title sequence were logical evolution, rather than a radical about turn; the new TARDIS complimented the new Doctor, and still held elements of the old (plus, let's be honest, who didn't love the "sexy thing"?) and, most amusingly, I noticed the BBC Iplayer have Doctor Who marked as Series 5. Guess the Moff can't get his way all the time!

Some have said that Matt Smith was trying too hard to be like the Tenth Doctor, and I did see some mannerisms that lingered at first. However, as the story progressed, it became clear (at least to me), that what Smith was doing was portraying a character regeneration as well as a physical one. By the time he had stripped off - yummily - and changed into his bow tie 'n' braces attire, he was very much his own man. This theory of mine was backed up in The Beast Below, in which, from the start, the Doctor felt like a very new character who we were getting to know. And I was loving it!

Keep that Blue Light Flashing
Sassy xx